(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cable cutting. More particularly, the present invention relates to remotely actuating a bottle punch to puncture a gas cylinder, wherein the released gas forces a cutter through a cable, thereby releasing a buoyant section of an exercise mine or other underwater payload from the sea floor so the payload can be retrieved at the surface.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Current exercise mines use a ballast section for planting and recovery of the mines. These ballast section systems have not been updated for quite some time and are increasingly unreliable. The current system utilizes an air driven chisel or cutter system to cut a steel cable that mates a buoy section to the ballast section, thus allowing the buoy section to float to the surface for recovery.
Existing systems utilize a compressed air system to both drive the cutter and activate an anti-scouring system used to push the mine off the ocean bottom. Due to their age and complexity, these systems are difficult to maintain and support, and are increasingly unreliable. Additionally, these systems use an expensive, high-pressure 3-stage oil-free air compressor to generate the compressed air.
Thus, a need has been recognized in the state of the art to provide a more reliable, less costly and safer cable cutting system. Additionally, there is a need for a simpler system that would be easier to maintain and operate.